Judging criteria

Viable Product – ​Can / does the product stand up to a competitive market and will the user find a value in the concept?

Emerging Category – ​How well does this product fit a specific consumer need and is this a unique niche or has it already been done?

The judging panel

Validated Research – ​How thoroughly has the product been vetted against market research to validate consumer need?

True Innovation – ​What are the product’s attributes that make this product truly unique including ingredients, delivery system, and specialised science?

Distinct Health / Lifestyle Application – ​Does this product fill a gap in the healthy product sector and is the science compelling and valid?

Unique Packaging – ​How well does the packaging convey the product’s attributes and speak to the consumer?

Creative Marketing – ​Has the product been supported by a vibrant and original marketing / promotional strategy with canny product positioning?

The product must have been commercially introduced after the 1st January, 2014.

The Sport and Energy Ingredient of the Year ​category proved sprightly this year, with the award going to Roquette’s sport drink pea protein S85PLUS.

Close behind were Arla Foods Ingredients’ for its Lacprodan HYDRO.365 recovery whey protein hydrolysate, Indena for its muscle soreness tackling curcumin Meriva and PINOX for its pine needle, propolis and sage blend for muscle soreness and arthritis pain relief.

About 1,000 NutraIngredient readers voted on the three finalists for the Readers’ Food Supplement of the Year Award​, but it was Protein Pow’s all-purpose pea and whey protein cooking mixes that bagged the most votes.

Our Immunity Finished Product of the Year​ category wasn’t immune to strong competition this year, but it was DuPont-Danisco that took home the award for its HOWARU Protect EarlyLife maternal and infant probiotic product. ​

Women ruled our category for Gender-Targeted Health Finished Product of the Year ​this year and it was Sigma-Tau HealthScience International that proved the fairest for its fertility-boosting supplement ProXeed.

All this NPD couldn’t be possible however without the research behind the scenes.

That’s why we chose to reward research that takes the nutrition sector to a new level of understanding – with clear potential for the development of market-changing new products - with the University Research of the Year Award.​​

This year our winner was the Iranian Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for its study of Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex and metabolic syndrome.​

Equally as bookish were fellow nominees University of California for its POMx pomegranate polyphenols study on the microbiome and the Texas Christian University for its Increnovo research on probiotics and inflammation and performance decrements following strenuous exercise.